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GarageBand5 with SnowLeopard, Tracks and Effects volume 03

In this guide we will cover:

1. Creating a new track in your GarageBand project.
2. punch-in.
3. Changing, Tempo, signature and key, after you have begun your GarageBand project.
4. Copy and paste in GarageBand5.
5. Effects

     
Creating a new Track in your GarageBand Project.

Creating a new track is done with
command-option-n. You will be ask to choose one of the buttons for either a software instrument or a real instrument as with a microphone., or, Electric guitar.

Note the electric guitar function will also work with a microphone for you who use an acoustic guitar.

You will need to choose these with VO keys-right or left arrow keys. When you have chosen one of these buttons, select the button with, VO keys-space bar. Now tab to creat and press, VO keys-space bar.

You are now ready to record.

One of the unique things you can do in GarageBand is name your tracks.

While you are in your track, use the item chooser and find the save instrument button VO keys-space bar on this button and you will be presented with an edit box. Type in the name and right arrow to save and press VO keys-space bar.

When you have a few tracks created, you can find a list of your tracks. Just VO keys-right arrow to the right of the scroll area. You can choose your track by using the up and down arrow keys and using VO keys-a to read the name of your track.

GarageBand keeps a list of the track names you have created, so that you can use them again.
To find this list, with the item chooser search for unknown and interact. You will find a list of all of the names you have created. To choose one, land on it and stop interacting.
Make sure that you have, show track info on in menus and make sure that the show all button is showing in the track window.

You can arrow up and down through the list of tracks you have created, until you hear the name of the track you wish to work with, solo that track if you wish with the letter s, pressing the letter s again will take solo off. You are now ready to do what ever work you want to do on your selected track. When you are finished, don't forget to lock your track, so that you don't accidentally record over your work and to save system resources.
l to lock your track and l to unlock your track.

Punch-in.

Punch-in is done when you need to record over a part of a track that you have already recorded.

GarageBand allows you to move around in a song just as you would with a cassette player, or, an old analog tape transport. To move around in your project use command-option-right or left arrow keys.
First of all, make sure that you are in the correct track, by pressing s to sample your track, press s again to go back to full song. Each one of your tracks should be named. You can also select your tracks in the scroll area. This is where the track information is located, by pressing up arrow for a higher track and down arrow for a lower track and VO keys-right arrow to the right to check the name. Go to the part of the track that you want to record over, just before the place that you want to record over, press "r" to record.

Press the space bar to stop recording
Lock your track with l and
unlock your track with l
You will want to lock your tracks so that you don't record over your work and to save system resources

Good recordings are hard work, but, the finished product will make you smile.

     Changing, Tempo, Time Signature and Key, after you have begun Your GarageBand Project.

First of all, make sure that your track info is showing, command-i to toggle on and off, or from the tracks menu.

Next, VO keys-right arrow to the master track Checkbox and check it with VO keys-space bar.

Now, VO keys-right arrow, until you hear tempo, then you can begin to change these parameters to your liking

     
Copy and Paste in GarageBand5

You can copy and paste in GarageBand, from track to track or from project to project by doing the following.

This may be most used when recording a podcast. Lets say you have recorded an interview that you want to put in to your podcast. It has been recorded on 1 track, or in another projecct. and the begining of the interview is at the begining of the track and the end of the interview is clean.

Please take the time to record clean. Please take the time to plan your project. Know what you want it to sound like when you are done, then plan the steps to make that happen. If you take the time to do your project well and do each step the number of times that it takes to get it right, the word "edit" will never cross your mind.

Now go to the track where you have your interview, podcast intro, or, whatever it is you want to move and select all with command-a, then after a few seconds, command-c to copy.

But you say I have already sent my interview to iTunes. No problem You can move anything from any of your play list in iTunes from the media browser.

Do the following.

1. Create an empty GarageBand project and call it something like moving drop-ins.
2. Create a new track, a real instrument track will be fine.
3. Now use VO keys-end to go to the media browser box and checkit.

use the item chooser to search for the audio button and select it.
4. Using the item chooser find the horizontal splitter. Vo keys-leftarrow once will take you in to a list of your play list and to the right of the splitter will be a list of the items in that play list.
5. When you land on the item you want to move move the mouse to that item with VO keys-command-f5.
6. Now interact with the item and make sure that the mouse is on the item with VO keys-f5.
7. With the mouse keys enabled on the num-pad, hold down the 5 and 4 keys for no longer than 5 seconds.
8. With the item chooser find the scroll area and command-a to select all and press command-c to copy.
9. Close your once empty GarageBand project.

Now find your project and create a new real instrument track. Now listen to your project until you find the place where you want your copied information to be place, press the spacebar to stop your project, then, command-v to paste. If it is not exactly where you want it, command-z to undo and try it again.

By having information on separate tracks you can vary levels or EQ until it sounds right to you.

Effects

To begin using effects, using the Item Chooser, look for and select the edit button.

Use the item chooser to find Master track and check this box.

This will take you into a list of effects. Many effects from noise gate,equalization, echo and reverb and the list goes on

The one we will talk about here is echo since it is the one that is the most easily noticeable. First of all, make sure the box that allows echo is checked with VO keys spacebar then VO keys right arrow past another button and check box or 2 until you come to a horizontal slider which, by default, should be at zero. Interact with this slider to adjust the amount of echo you would like. After you have done this and given your track a try you may decide that the length of the echo is too long or the number of echoes are too many. Here's how to adjust them

Use the item chooser to find echo and move once to the right with VO keys-right arrow to a button that will say manual if it is in the default state.

Now, VO-space on this button and a list of a number of echo presets will drop down.

When you have made your changes, you can exit that menu with escape.

Not all effects windows are created equal, take for instance, the EQ or equalizer window, known as Visual EQ..

Using the item chooser find visual EQ.
Now VO keys-left arrow to the checkbox and check it.
Now VO keys-right arrow 3 times to a button which should say manual in its default state..

You will see a drop down list of preset equalization choices. Once you have chosen one, you may leave this menu with escape.

When you are finished with effects be sure to return your screen to its normal state by, unchecking the master track box and if it will not uncheck, VO keys-left arrow once and check this box with VO keys-space bar and by deselecting the edit button and if it will not deselect, move once to the left with VO keys-left arrow and select that button with VO keys-space bar..

To try to explain every effects function would be a daunting task, but, hopefully this will give you an idea of how it works.

Keith Reedy
wa9dro@gmail.com

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